General Dynamics to hire 1,000 in south Miss.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- Government contractor General Dynamics Corp. will add another 1,000 jobs to the 225 it's already creating at its call center in Hattiesburg. The new workers will respond to questions about Medicare, with the company planning to begin hiring this summer.

The company announced plans for the smaller operation in February, saying it planned to hire 225 people to answer questions about how to fill out federal student aid applications for college.

The expansion was announced Thursday by Gov. Phil Bryant.

General Dynamics, based in Falls Church, Va., is renting space in Cloverleaf Center, a redeveloped mall. Mississippi Development Authority is paying for building modifications, although the amount wasn't announced in a news release. The company will also benefit from state job training subsidies and state and local tax breaks.